Clothespin



Sept. 9, 1941. F. KABRIEL CLOTHESPIN Filed April 4, 1941 Inventor EPA/v4 A ABAIEL Attorney Patented Sept. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN Frank Kabrlel, Summerfield, Kans.

Application April 4, 1941, Serial No. 386,894

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes-pins, the principal object in view being to provide a simply constructed, inexpensive device of this character which is easy to handle, will open wide, grip the line with a snap action, and will not come apart or snag the clothes, particularly silks and rayons.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of the preferred embodiment of my improved clothes- D Figure 2 is a view in section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a. view in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the reinforcing members and spring.

Referring to the drawing by numerals. in the preferred embodiment thereof, my improved clothespin is substantially Y-shaped and comprises a pair of elongated, obtuse angled members l, 2, opposed side by side and including a pair of straight jaw portions 3 and a pair of outwardly flaring hand grip portion 4. The members I, 2, are substantially rectangular trans-, versely and formed of rubber, or rubber composition, of the requisite degree of hardness to pre-- vent undue compression. The Jaw portions 3 are .provided with outwardly diverging ends 5 facilitating engagement with a clothesline, and a pair of opposed. concave, transversely extending sockets 6 therein adjacent said ends 5 for seating the line, represented at l. The hand grip portions 4 preferably taper outwardly, respectively, in the plane of the pin and are provided with rounded outer ends 8.

A pair of flat, strip metal reinforcing members 9. also obtuse angled, are imbedded in the members I, 2, to extend lengthwise thereof in the longitudinal center of the same, said reinforcing members 9 terminating short of the ends ofsaid members I. 2. An arch type leaf spring Ill of suitable metal connects the reinforcing members 9 between the sockets 6 and the hand grip portions 5, said spring arching toward the portions l and having straight ends I I imbedded in the portions 3 opposed fiat to the reinforcing members 9, and welded to said members, the welding not being shown.

As will now be seen, under movement of the hand grip portions 4 toward each other, the jaw portions 3 may be opened wide, the arch of the spring i0 forming a fulcrum so that said portions 3 may straddle heavy thick clothing on the line to react toward each other into clamping relation therewith when the hand grip portions 4 are released, or, the divergent ends 5 of the jaw members 3 may be forced over a line to snap over the same, or clothes thereon, when the sockets 6 are opposed to said line. Preferably the spring It spaces the members I, 2, apart slightly to facilitate wide opening of the jaw members 3. As will be understood, the rubber composition of the members I, 2, renders the same waterproof, and yielding to an extent such that tearing of clothes is obviated in the use of the pin. Also, the rubber members I, 2, are soft to the hands and will not splinter.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufllce to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

A clothespin comprising a pair of separate elongate obtuse angled members of resilient material opposed side by side in a common plane and provided with adjacent opposed bevelled ends and a pair of notches in opposed sides thereof adjacent said ends, a. pair of flat metal reinforcing strips embedded in said members to extend longitudinally thereof and completely covered thereby, and a bowed leaf spring connecting said strips intermediate the ends of said members and yieldingly urging said bevelled ends toward each other, said reinforcing strips being of rigid material.

FRANK KABRIEL. 

